Originally, I had picked it up at the airport with the expectation of it being entertaining light reading on my long flight and then throwing it away. In the event, I read it from cover to cover; I found it to be seriously eye opening, and it has changed my entire view of the whole UFO phenomenon.

Previously, my view of UFO’s was that they are just misidentifications of common conventional phenomena or objects; they were not to be taken seriously.

After reading this book, I have done some further research. The huge volume of credible information and observational data available on the phenomenon shows that my original viewpoint was grossly ill-informed.

Evidently, there is a lot more to the UFO phenomenon than I had imagined: based on the accumulated body of credible observational evidence, it is pretty clear that there exists a very real, and still unexplained, phenomenon.

Related to this is an interesting connection to “orbs”. A type of “orb” is frequently observed in the context of UFO’s.

The inference gained from analysis of the accumulated observations, and there apparently have been hundreds of credible observations, is that these are small remotely operated reconnaissance and observation craft. Some of them are weaponised and have significant destructive capability.

The aggregate of their observed behaviour and capabilities suggests that they are artificial and remotely controlled by intelligent entities.

Given that their observed characteristics are beyond the capabilities of our current technology, one can only wonder where they have come from, and who is controlling them.

"Given that their observed characteristics are beyond the capabilities of our current technology, ..."

...that we, the public, are aware of. I don't disbelieve extraterrestrial intelligence, and despite a joke I quoted on another site (that the surest sign of extraterrestrial intelligence is that none of it has tried to contact us) I do believe that we get buzzed now and then, but there are still "mad scientists" who are pushing the bounds of what we know about reality to new heights (and depths), all with the blessings of governments who would love to have something new and powerful to defend and attack with. Never discount the craftiness of curious humans with insane amounts of money to play with!

If you were to study the evolution of various technologies, you'd see some weird stuff. Take computers, for example. Some people are wowed that we went from vacuum tubes and copper wires to the silicon microchip practically overnight! Well, no we didn't. There were so many trials and errors that never made it out of the lab, including atempts to use glass, water, amber, and other substances before going for silicon. No ETs involved, as some claim. Just a bunch of determined nerds. It looks overnight and miraculous to us because we only saw what got marketted. Surely you've seen the evolution of the airplane... http://www.metacafe....light_attempts/

Who knows what the boys are working on these days, especially given the diet of 20th century sci-fi to fuel their imaginations?

Philosophically, with regard to the development of technology, I agree with you.

With regard to your implied connection to UFO’s, until a couple of months ago, I also would have agreed with you. However, now that I have spent considerable of my leisure time reading up on the subject, I have seen the error of my ways and find that UFO’s lie way outside our technical capabilities.

There is absolutely no doubt that our airspace is host to flying machines of unknown origin and piloted by intelligent unknown entities; you can satisfy yourself to this effect by conducting the same research on the subject as have I.

With regard to emerging technology, as you have pointed out above, it is not too difficult to track its historical development. Similarly, it is not too difficult to project a future path and capabilities for that technology.

When an unknown phenomenon appears, it can be compared to projections of current technology; if the performance of the phenomenon is within the projections of known technology, it can reasonably be identified as something conventional.

However, when the performance is way beyond the projected performance envelope, then we are obliged to consider unconventional explanations and origins.

Annually, literally hundreds of observations of UFO’s are reported by military forces around the world; they are so common, that most military forces consider them an “unwelcome nuisance”.

Significantly, a large number of these observations are made simultaneously from the ground, in the air, and on radar; ie: they are not misinterpreted observations of conventional phenomena by deluded drug addicts.

With regard to their performance, these craft have been observed making 180 degree turns at Mach 3; right angle turns; abrupt halts to hover from Mach 5; flying at Mach 5 with no sonic boom; etc..

The observed performance characteristics of these craft exceed even the most fanciful projections of our technology; aside from the fact that the airframes would disintegrate under the stresses, the inertia and G-forces would kill the pilots.

Furthermore, we will not have the technology anytime in the foreseeable future; ie: these performance characteristics lie outside even the most optimistic projected performance envelope, and lie only in the realm of science fiction.

Clearly, these craft exhibit technology that is more than one quantum leap ahead of ours.

So the big questions are: where are they from; and how do they get here?

"The UFO phenomenon exists.It has been with us throughout history. It is physical in nature and it remains unexplained in terms of contemporary science. It represents a level of consciousness that we have not yet recognized , and which is able to manipulate dimensions beyond time and space as we understand them. It affects our own consciousness in ways that we do not fully grasp, and it generally behaves as a control system." Jacques Vallee
from "Passport to Magonia, from folklore to flying saucers"

An old book that I think anyone interested in this subject would find eye-opening.

"We grow neither better or worse as we get old, but more like ourselves."May L. BeckerCoffee.......the foundation of consciousness

I'm so intrigued by orbs..... I've read stories of orbs showing up during UFO events. Also near-death experiencers speaking of orbs of light as souls. Then the orbs of light during the making of crop circles. Most interesting subject! What the heck ARE orbs???

"We grow neither better or worse as we get old, but more like ourselves."May L. BeckerCoffee.......the foundation of consciousness